really?

as some of you know, i'm not a fan of jeans on my kids. i just don't see how they are comfortable for babies  and i feel like they make my little ones look too grown up. i know i am in the minority here. trust me. 

but who knew the demand was so great? huggies did.

no, this is not a snl skit. though i really thought it was at first. and, according to this, not only am i in the minority in not putting jeans on my kids, but i may be in the minority if i put pants on my kid at all.

thrifty thursday

there has been very little estate saling to be had this winter. maybe it was because of the freezing cold temperatures (not anymore . . . 90 degrees in may. so sad.) maybe it was because there weren't any sales to hold. but, a few weeks ago, i had some luck at a few . . .

what you see:
a sweet pink dishwasher basket
a milk glass spice bottle (for my mom-she loved it!)
a few children's school books
a stack of flashcards
some old valentines
a dogwood handkerchief (love the colors)
some vintage christmas
a stack of craft fruit baskets
a collection of golden books with no cover
a metal grid (for flower arranging?)
a silhouette in a sweet little round frame
a metal tray (with hand drawn mushrooms?? random.)
and a tole pendant light

i was really excited about the pendant light. i see it all shiny and new after a few coats of spray paint hanging in one of my girls' rooms. and, the metal tray will get the same treatment followed by someone's monogram, maybe. so many possibilities with all these new rooms to decorate . . .

and on the home front, we are still crashing with the 'rents. (bless their hearts.) the only day my kids slept past 6:30 a.m. was the morning after my parents had spent the night away- as in away from us. we will start painting today. ahh, gallons and gallons of new fresh light colors of paint are waiting for me and anyone who knows how to use a roller. see ya there!

mi casa es su casa

i have a really good reason why i have been such a blog slacker since march. i was so excited to be all caught up after disney and was ready to get back in my memory documenting, crafty showing routine when something unexpected occurred. well, i think unexpected is a lie, it's probably more like inevitable.

see, when baby numero tres entered our world, josh put the brakes on private school. not that we are private school only people, but due to the location of our current home, it was private school or jail. i say jail because if you don't take your kid to school, then they are truent. if your child is truent, the po-lice take you to jail. (that's what happens, right?) and, well, home schooling is not a current option for carter and me. she needs to go to school in the fall.

so, that means we have to move. and, in order to buy a house, you need to sell a house. or, in our case, you accidentally put a contingent offer on a house and attempt to sell your own that is not even on the market in less than a month. and, well, i can't make a story any shorter than i just did.

there is one thing we have learned that when in our circumstances, we all have to make sacrifices.

example 1: when you miss your realtor's call because your baby had your phone and your husband texts you to say she is standing on the front porch waiting for you to leave and you throw everyone in the car while sweeping up the play dough mess and every one is complaining that they still have on their pajamas, sometimes you have to wear your sister's pants.

even if they are a size 18 month.

example 2: when you spend the entire afternoon working on birthday sewing because your parents graciously take your children for the afternoon and your mother gives them all a bath, but they have no current pajamas at her house, but all of their past season clothes are being stored there, sometimes you have to wear last year's pajamas.

or the year before that. whatever.

example 3: when it's been three weeks since you put a contingent contract on a house and you really only have another week to sell yours in order to have enough time for all the processing and junk and you are having an open house in an hour, everyone has to pull their weight.

even if you're a baby.

and sometimes, or at least this time, it all works out. 

and you wait until the last minute to pack and find out one day before closing that you won't get possession of your new house until five days after you give up possession of your current house. 

so, now, we are homeless. 

and, we are all having to make sacrifices. (especially my parents!)

i guess we can always hire spencer out if we need to.

random photo friday

picture taken december 2009

it's a pirate's life for miller

so, somebody had a birthday which means somebody also had a birthday party.

miller made his birthday theme request not long after his last birthday party. most of their requests have been unique; a fun challenge to create as at the time, no one else was planning something similar. but, this request has been done. over done. well done. done.

his request: a pirate party. he had very specific requests including activities and decor. for me, the challenge this time was making it unique.

i began like i do every party planning event-i asked my mom what she might already have i could use. she is a wealth of all things. she provided me with yardage of several fabrics. these fabrics became the foundation of the party. they also became sashes, booty bags and buntings.

when the children arrived at the party, they choose a sash, a booty bag, a hat (ordered from oriental trading co) and an eye patch.

once they were geared up, all the buccaneers hung out on the ship for further instruction.

to create the ship, we used the plans and rivets from mr. mcgroovy and graciously received the boxes from a local independent appliance store that has since gone out of business. and, by we, i mean my husband and my father.

the first activity was walk the plank:

after successfully escaping the dangerous waters, each buccaneer received a compass for their booty bag.

then, an announcement was made that captain miller was ready to read the treasure map.

look how cute they are using the compass to read the map. 

captain miller leads the way . . .

buried in the sand, the children found necklaces, rings, jewels and coins.

after filling their booty bags with loot, it was time for some fish and chips, served with frosty ale (root beer), crocodile's blood (sprite with hawaiian punch ice cubes), 

and some fruit skewers.

then, it was time for my favorite part-cupcakes!

making a big wish . . .

they were red velvet with cream cheese icing. yummy.

besides telling me that a pirate ship must be present for it to be a pirate party, miller was also insistent on a pinata. though i didn't necessarily think the custom went with the theme, finding a pinata that fit the theme was a breeze. some how there are no pictures of the actual event.

our last activity was the canon ball pop. the goal was to keep your canon ball from being popped. after outfitting each child with a balloon canon ball, the fun began.

some of them ran to protect theirs,

while others ran to pop them, 

 but, everyone was sad to see their's go.

after successfully making most of the kids cry when their canon ball was popped, we called it a day. (hmm, maybe, the buried treasure should have been the last activity.) all the buccaneers left with their booty bags full of loot that they had pillaged and plundered for.

yo, ho, ho, it's a pirate's life for miller!

he is four

this is my sweet boy at the beach last year. he had just turned 3.

this is him just a few days after he turned 4. four.

because i want to freeze time and enjoy him at this age forever, i want to document some of my favorite things about miller at 4:

*he has a huge heart. he loves his mommy like no one else. he is so protective of his baby sister and recently told me that he likes being a big brother better than a little brother. (i don't blame him.)

*he can sleep anywhere. (look at how long he is??) this is what happens if he doesn't get a nap. he cannot make it. can.not.

*he has the sweetest voice. i love to hear him talk and there are several things i could hear him say over and over again. (including: WHAT?!?, Hugh) of course, this same voice can make glass break when he is upset.

*he lays his clothes out on the floor before putting them on, complete with his shoes on the wrong feet ;)

*he still loves books, toy story, pockets, and the colors hot blue and brown. he still loves blueberries, tomatoes (but he doesn't pronouce them bumatoes anymore :( ), cheese, and milk and will take a bite of anything once. even if it is just once.

*he comes up with bedtime get-ups that look like this:

this kid is a mess. full of personality. full of life. full of love. he makes our life more full because he is in it. happy 4th birthday, miller!

holla

since i posted spencer's first birthday pictures, i have received some of the kindest words. when creating anything, i usually do so for myself. (of course, when others show interest it is the icing on the cake.) but, when creating for my kids, i usually go over the top and enjoy myself even more. i loved creating every second of it and love that others have enjoyed it, too. so, just in case you want to check it out, i thought i would give a shout out to the girls who have featured spencer's little party:

birthday girl

little shindigs

table tops for tots

so, in true ellen style, holla!
thank you, ladies!

art for art's sake?

each year, we have an art show at preschool. it is a fun night of family, food, entertainment and our children's art. we save pieces they have completed throughout the year and display them in various ways. the kids loved showing  their daddy all the things they have made this year. 

carter's display outside her classroom

miller's self portrait

i love that he used yellow and brown paper because he said his hair was both colors.

this is carter's self portrait from fall:

"it's me in the belly of a crocodile."

(yes, she cut it out all by herself-she has mad cutting skillz.)

many of the older classes, do another self portrait in the spring for comparison.

this is carter's self portrait from spring:

when i first saw the drawing, i asked her what was in the picture with her.

"it's a potty. that's me about to go to the bathroom."

me: "why . . . yes . . . it is."